Cadillac mayor on Heart of Michigan Tour: "This is a historic day"

Scott Atkinson | MLive.comCadillac Mayor Bill Barnett speaks with Jim Peek, 67, of Big Rapids, about the Heart of Michigan tour coming through Cadillac. Barnett called it a "historic day" for the city.

CADILLAC, MI--Cadillac Mayor Bill Barnett was walking through downtown Cadillac when he summed up what the Back to the Bricks Heart of Michigan tour meant to the city.

"This is a historic day," he said.

"This is basically something that's unheard of in our community, to have an event this big with this kind of turnout, it's just amazing," he said.

It's been more than three decades, he said, since Cadillac has had its main street downtown shut down for any kind of event, something he said the city has sorely missed.

But today the streets were lined with classic cars, some local, many from Genesee County and part of the Heart of Michigan tour. Locals passed through the town looking under hoods and talking with proud owners.

"This is good for Cadillac," said Jim Peek, 67, of Big Rapids, who used to work in Cadillac. "People get to see all the stores with the streets blocked off."

It's been about ten years since Cadillac has had a car show, an annual event that used to take part in a park by Lake Cadillac. It was a pretty spot, but Barnett said this event "has opened up a option" downtown.

And maybe it won't be the last time something like this happens.

"This is whetting our taste buds, and I predict this is going to be our kicker to get that show back in our community."

Scott
Atkinson is an entertainment reporter for the Flint Journal and can be reached
at (810) 262-0216 or at satkins1@mlive.com. You can also follow Scott on Facebook
or Twitter.